In early summer, the Royal Hunting Grounds were covered in lush grass and vibrant birds, and the sun scorched the animal-patterned banners atop the tents. Chen Weiwan squatted at the edge of the camp, bandaging the wound of a lame hare with a branch. Chuntao, crouched beside her with a medicine box, suddenly tugged at her sleeve. "Miss! Lin Wanrou is here with her men. Her face looks as if she's eaten coptis!"
Shen Weiwan raised her eyebrows and stuffed the hare into the grass nest: "Are you here to give your head away again?" She patted the grass debris on her hands, deliberately straightened her back, and put on an innocent expression.
Lin Wanrou, dressed in a lilac-colored lotus-embroidered dress, approached with four maids, her hairpins dangling like pearls, making one dizzy. She stopped in front of Shen Weiwan, looking her up and down, a smirk playing on her lips. "Sister Shen, you're in a good mood! Saving a rabbit here?"
"Sister Lin, is there something wrong?" Shen Weiwan tilted her head, the sunlight casting shadows on her eyelashes like a small fan. "If you're here to borrow medicine, forget it. My medicine is very valuable, and I'm afraid you can't afford it."
Lin Wanrou's face froze, and she suppressed her anger. "Sister, you're joking. I just felt sorry for you being alone, so I wanted to take you out for a walk." She paused, her tone suddenly sharp. "But it's also true. His Highness the Seventh Prince is busy hunting. How can he have time to accompany a vulgar girl like you?"
Shen Weiwan stared at her whitened knuckles, and suddenly screamed "Ouch!" and grabbed Lin Wanrou's wrist: "Sister Lin, why are your hands so cold? Could it be that you didn't sleep well last night and your blood circulation is blocked by jealousy?"
"You are the jealous one!" Lin Wanrou wanted to pull her hand back, but Shen Weiwan held it tighter.
"I'm not like some people," Shen Weiwan smiled until her eyes narrowed into crescents. "I heard that Minister Lin recently bought a piece of land in the west of the city? Is he growing sweet potatoes?"
Lin Wanrou's expression suddenly changed: "How did you know?"
"Everyone in the capital knows this," Shen Weiwan released her hand and patted her sleeve, "everyone says that Minister Lin is going to switch to selling sweet potatoes!"
Lin Wanrou was shaking with anger. Just as she was about to explode, a clear voice suddenly came from behind her: "What are you arguing about?"
Everyone turned around and saw Xiao Yu wearing a black hunting suit, with grass debris on his quiver, and walking towards him with a frown. He saw Lin Wanrou's flushed face and Shen Weiwan's smirk, and immediately understood about 70% of what was going on, and quickly walked to Shen Weiwan's side.
"Your Highness..." Lin Wanrou's eyes lit up and she wanted to complain immediately.
Xiao Yu didn't even look at her. He lowered his head to brush the grass leaves off Shen Weiwan's shoulders, and said in a doting tone: "Being bullied again?"
Shen Weiwan immediately put on an aggrieved face, pulled Xiao Yu's sleeve and shook it: "Your Highness, Sister Lin said that you didn't accompany me, and said that I was vulgar..."
Xiao Yu's face darkened, and he turned to look at Lin Wanrou, his eyes as cold as ice: "Ms. Lin, are you free?"
Lin Wanrou shuddered at his gaze and argued, "I was just joking with Sister Shen..."
"Are you kidding?" Xiao Yu took a half step forward, his aura fully exposed. "Do you think you can make fun of my people?" He glanced at the maid behind Lin Wanrou, "Pass on my order——"
Lin Wanrou's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain calm: "What does Your Highness want to do?"
Xiao Yu's lips curled up into a cold smile. His voice was low but full of pressure: "Order Minister Lin to inspect the royal sweet potato fields on the outskirts of the city starting tomorrow. You are not allowed to return to the city until you have dug ten carts of sweet potatoes."
"What?" Lin Wanrou turned pale with fear. "Your Highness! My father is the Minister of Personnel. How could he go digging sweet potatoes?"
"The Minister of Personnel can't dig sweet potatoes?" Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow. "I heard that Minister Lin has been quite interested in sweet potatoes recently. It's a good opportunity for him to go to the fields and study them thoroughly."
Shen Weiwan nodded vigorously beside him: "Yes, yes, yes! Your Highness, after digging the sweet potatoes, you can roast them and eat them. Remember to give me half!"
The guards and maids around them were so exhausted from trying to contain their laughter that their shoulders were shaking. Chun Tao whispered, "Miss, roasted sweet potatoes with sugar cakes, just thinking about it makes me delicious!"
Lin Wanrou was so angry that she was shaking all over. She pointed at Xiao Yu and was speechless: "You...you are abusing your personal rights!"
"Abuse of power?" Xiao Yu sneered. "Compared to the gossip some people engage in behind your back, I think letting your father dig sweet potatoes is already exceptionally merciful." He paused, his eyes sharp as a knife. "If Miss Lin feels this is unfair, you can complain to our father."
How could Lin Wanrou dare to complain to the Seventh Prince? She stamped her feet, tears finally falling: "Your Highness is going too far!"
"Too much bullying?" Xiao Yu crossed his arms, "I tell you," he pointed at Shen Weiwan, "if I see you making things difficult for her again, it won't be as simple as digging sweet potatoes."
"Then...what do you want to do?" Lin Wanrou asked tearfully.
Xiao Yu thought for a moment and said seriously, "I will have your family sell sweet potatoes in the West Market from morning till night, so that everyone in the capital can see how the daughter of the Minister of Personnel shouts, 'Sweet sweet potatoes, three pounds for one penny.'"
Shen Weiwan burst out laughing, and Chuntao couldn't help laughing too. Lin Wanrou cried even harder, covering her face and running away.
Xiao Yu looked at her back, shook his head helplessly, and pinched Shen Weiwan's cheek: "Are you causing trouble again?"
"Who asked her to provoke first!" Shen Weiwan said confidently, "Your Highness, you were so domineering just now!"
Xiao Yu laughed and ruffled her hair: "Okay, stop messing around and come with me to have dinner."
"Where are we going for dinner?" Shen Weiwan's eyes lit up. "Is there any roasted venison?"
"Yes," Xiao Yu said helplessly, "and the roasted sweet potatoes you were talking about."
The two of them walked towards the main tent while talking, Chun Tao followed behind them and laughed. The guards around them looked at their backs and whispered:
"His Highness the Seventh Prince is so kind to Miss Shen!"
"That's right. Miss Lin was so frightened by the momentum just now that her face turned pale!"
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